If a third District 42 representative is to make it back to Little League Baseball’s hallowed grounds in Williamsport, Pa., later this summer, it will do so wearing caps emblazoned with the SV moniker after Sweetwater Valley Little League claimed the rights to this year’s coveted 12U district championship on Sunday.

SVLL defeated Eastlake, 9-3, at the Sweetwater Valley Little League complex to take the first step toward landing a berth in the Little League West Region tournament and, ultimately, in the Little League World Series.

Sweetwater Valley next advances to the California Section 7 championship tournament being hosted by SVLL. The tournament begins Saturday, July 12, and runs through next Tuesday.

The freshly minted District 42 champions will take on District 41 champion Rancho San Diego at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The four-team double-elimination tournament also includes champions from District 66 (Lemon Grove) and District 22 (Brawley). Those two teams will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday to officially get the section tourney in swing.

The winners of Saturday’s games advance to the winners bracket final on Sunday, July 13, at 11 a.m.

The losers of Saturday’s games drop to the consolation bracket, with an elimination game set for Sunday at 10:30 a.m.The winners of Sunday’s match-ups advance to the Tuesday, July 15, championship game (5:35 p.m. start). If a championship replay is necessitated by the double-elimination format, the proverbial “if” game would be played Wednesday, July 16, at 5:35 p.m., also at SVLL.

The Section 7 champion advances to the California Sub-Division III South tournament, set to be hosted by District 41.

District championsThree championship games took place on Sunday at Sweetwater Valley Little League. Chula Vista American defeated Eastlake, 13-6, to win the 10U Division title while Sweetwater Valley topped Eastlake, 13-1, in a four-inning mercy rule contest to claim the 11U Division banner.

District 22/Sunbeam Little League in El Centro will host the Section 7 tournament for the 10U Division teams while District 66/Spring Valley Little League will host the Section 7 tournament for the 11U Division teams.

District 42 champion Chula Vista American will face District 41 champion Fletcher Hills in Friday’s opener of the 10U Section 7 tournament while District 42 champion Sweetwater Valley will engage District 66 in Friday’s opener of the 11U Section 7 tournament.

The Junior Division title game took place Tuesday and featured a 6-1 Eastlake victory over Luckie Waller after Luckie Waller had eliminated Imperial Beach, 7-3, in Monday’s challenger bracket final.

The Eastlake roster features a pair of 2013 LLWS U.S. national champions: Micah Pietila-Wiggs and Dominic Haley.

On Wednesday, the Senior Division championship, which had been under protest between Luckie Waller and Southwest, was awarded to Luckie Waller.Road to WilliamsportSVLL president Kelly Besker called it “a great season for Sweetwater Valley Little League.”

“We had good competitive baseball played all season long in our upper divisions and good instructional baseball played in our younger divisions,” Besker noted. “Two of our three all-star teams played well enough to win district banners. These banners show there is good baseball being played out here in Bonita/east Chula Vista and all around District 42.

“It really takes surrounding these kids with good teachers of the game, a positive environment and positive people such as parents and teammates to help them succeed. I believe every player, coach and parent has been instrumental in the success of our league and our post-season teams.”

Besker said expectations for the league’s remaining two all-star tournament teams are to continue the course they have already charted.

“Our expectations are these kids on these two remaining teams enjoy the moment and try to have fun while making a run to win the last game of season in their respective divisions,” the SVLL president explained.

With District 42 sending a representative to last summer’s Little League World Series, Besker said there was no real pressure to match that this season.

“Eastlake coming out of District 42 and representing the USA last season didn’t put pressure on us this season — you have an entire nation of Little Leaguers who put pressure on themselves to get to the ‘Big Dance,’” Besker said. “It’s great that Park View and Eastlake have represented District 42 and the USA in recent years. Sweetwater Valley Little League would love to be the representatives this year. It will take hard work, good baseball and some luck to be that team. We’re up for the challenge just as every other Little League is.

“I believe competition breeds champions, so let’s go compete!”

Hang a starSunday’s district title was the third consecutive for the current group of Sweetwater Valley 12U all-star players. The group captured the district 11U championship last year and the 10U title two years ago after getting a winning start at the district’s annual Tournament of Champions competition.

Last year’s 11U Sweetwater Valley team went on to win a Section 7 championship before finishing its season at the sub-division level.

Chris Miranda slammed a pair of home runs and teammate Alec Bruce also cracked a round-tripper to pace Sweetwater Valley’s win over Eastlake in the 12U district championship game. Wyatt Lannom pitched a complete game victory for SVLL.

In the 11U championship game, Preston Fleming hurled a complete game victory while his teammates volleyed multiple pitches over the fence in an all-around offensive display.